Maps
by Michael Winges
Summary: When True Loves touch hands for the first time, they gain each other's emotions and thoughts, along with their True Love's name branded on the inside of their right wrist. This one-shot songfic follows Emma and Killian as they discover their true beings. (Rated T for Language)


_Dearest Reader,_

_I know that I am nowhere NEAR finished with my other OUAT story, but I had this idea and another one that will be longer than this. I just wanted to write this little piece because I thought you all would enjoy it! This is a slight AU and it takes place in season two onward. These are going to be flashes of what happened between Hook and Emma (all from Emma's point of view). I chose the song, "Maps" by Maroon V, because I felt from the moment that I heard it that it fit Killian/Hook to a tee. This is a one-shot/songfic. Please read, write, and review!_

_-MW_

_**Disclaimer: I own only the plot changes. Not the song used, nor any of the characters.**_

_**Maps**_

_I miss the taste of a sweeter life  
I miss the conversation  
I'm searching for a song tonight  
I'm changing all of the stations_

We were walking back to the encampment, talking about how to best approach beating Cora, and about what to tell all of the villagers. Mary Margaret was still upset over Lancelot, and Aurora was visibly shaken about everything that had happened. I knew that this was going to be a bitch to deal with, but when Mulan stilled us, I couldn't help but think what could possibly be worse.

"Wait," she said. I looked over the bush that we were hiding behind – there was smoke. Something was wrong. "The tower. We _always _have sentries guarding the entrance." She turned toward us, eyes wary. "Stay close." She whispered. I kept my sword at my side, but ready for a fight. Mary Margaret's grip on her bow hardened. We all entered the village to discover a massacre had occurred.

_"Oh my God…" _I whispered. The rest of the group started to look through the corpses, looking for any signs of life. I followed their lead.

"This can't be," Mulan's saddened voice came from off to my right. I was still looking at through the bodies when I thought I saw a finger twitch. I stood, watching the same hand. "Our land… We were protected here – _hidden!_ How did the ogres find us?" The hand moved again, and I crouched down to inspect it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mary Margaret stop abruptly.

"Ogres didn't do this," she said, horror filling her voice.

"What?" Mulan inquired.

"_Cora_ did. Their hearts." I looked up to see Mulan approaching a body and Aurora stopping by another one. "They were ripped out. This is _her_ magic, twisted and evil. We have to stop her!"

"Too late," Mulan whimpered. I had never seen the mighty warrior look as distraught as in that moment. "She killed them. She killed them all."

"Well, we have to stop her before she hurts anyone else." I felt the hand on my foot now and muffled groans. I looked back down to see that there was someone _alive_ under all of the bodies.

_I like to think that we had it all  
We drew a map to a better place  
But on that road I took a fall  
Oh baby why did you run away?_

"HEY!" I called out. "Hey, look!" Aurora was at my side in a second.

"There's someone under there!" She cried out in surprise. Together, we hauled a young, dark haired man out from under all of the carnage.

"Please," he gasped. "Please, help me." He rested himself up against me, and I somehow found it comforting.

"It's okay," Mary Margaret said, becoming a motherly figure again. "You're safe now. We won't hurt you." He smiled softly at the thought. He was a handsome young man, probably in his late twenties or early thirties. His smile was beautiful. As were his piercing blue eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you." I helped him stand up, noticing that his right hand was missing. Even covered in blood, he was a beautiful creature. He looked into my eyes, curious. I had a strange sensation to trust him, but I quickly shoved it away. I _couldn't_ risk that. I needed my head clear.

"Mary Margaret, Aurora, why don't you take him over to the table. Mulan and I will go get water," I said, no longer able to withstand his gaze. There was something… _odd_… about the man they had discovered. Separating from the group, Mulan lead me over to the well that contained the water. We found two goblets that were in decent shape. I filled both of them with water and walked over to Mulan, staring at the stranger. We spoke about where he was from, and when I questioned him, he lied to us. I had no choice.

"You're not going to guide us anywhere until you tell us who you _really _are," I hissed, pressing my dagger to his Adam's Apple.

_I was there for you  
In your darkest times  
I was there for you  
In your darkest night_

We'd tied him to a tree, and I had whistled to get the ogres attention. Then he told us the truth – that his name was Killian Jones, but people called him Hook. And that he was working for Cora.

"As in _Captain_ Hook," I questioned. He can't be serious. Can he? His smirk proved otherwise.

"Ah," he flirted. "So you've heard of me?" He added a wink. I rolled my eyes. Everything inside of me wanted to trust him. But I mentally scolded myself – trust was not a luxury that I could give. He went on to tell us Cora's plan. And when he told me why _he _wanted to get to Storybrooke, I knew he was telling the truth. So we cut him loose.

Now, we were hiking through the Enchanted Forest, wondering where the beanstalk could be. I walked with Mary Margaret, and we talked about whether or not we could trust him. It was our only option right now. We then reached the Beanstalk, and I could only gape.

_But I wonder where were you  
When I was at my worst  
Down on my knees  
And you said you had my back  
So I wonder where were you  
When all the roads you took came back to me_

"It's a _little_ freakier than I remember from the story," I stated. I heard Mulan murmur how it reminded her of death, and Mary Margaret saying how that was "encouraging." Hook went on to tell us about the story of how the Giant War and how only one giant had survived. It seemed like there was not going to be one single fairy tale character that _wasn't_ real. Then Hook pulled out a cuff.

"Only one other can climb with me. The Beanstalk is enchanted to keep humans from climbing it. So, who's it going to be?" He smirked. After a brief argument (mainly me saying that I was going because I was the most determined), I walked over to Hook. His smirk widened.

"I was hoping it would be you," he whispered as he grabbed my hand. That's when it happened. All of a sudden, memories – _painful _memories – from Killian's past flashed through me. It only took a second, but it felt like time had stopped. I saw his father hitting him, the day he joined the Royal Navy, the day his brother died. Then Milah, and Rumplestiltskin. The whole tricking Regina ploy. Up until today. I gasped and pulled my hand away, my wrist in searing pain. And I could feel his confusion as well as mine. I could feel _all_ of his emotions. It was so disorienting.

"What the _hell_ was that?" I shouted, turning back toward the group. I was still confused, but I could feel his understanding dawning on him. I saw Aurora and Mary Margaret smile sadly at each other. The latter of the two approached me, tears in her eyes.

"Can you feel his emotions," Mary Margaret whispered. "Do you have his memories?" I couldn't move. What the fuck was she talking about? All I could do was gape at her.

"Mom," I said – it didn't even register that I had acknowledged that she was my mother. "What the hell-"

"I hate to interrupt this moment," Killian said, getting his hook from Mulan. I turned to face him, feeling his emotions. Emotions that I had not felt in a long time. Longing, hope, and even _love._ I looked at him skeptically. How could he love me? We did not even _know_ each other. And yet we did. I had all of his memories. That meant that I practically knew him. And now that I had his emotions, I practically knew him. I felt fear grip me.

_So I'm following the map that leads to you  
The map that leads to you  
Ain't nothing I can do  
The map that leads to you  
Following, following, following to you  
The map that leads to you  
Ain't nothing I can do  
The map that leads to you  
Following, following, following_

We had begun to climb the Beanstalk. Killian said it would take about an hour, which meant that we would have about nine hours in order to get the task done. Then I would ditch him. This was all so confusing. It was like having a second, not as prominent set of emotions about everything. And then he would keep looking at me like I was special to him. I needed to get away from him as soon as possible. Occasionally, he would throw a flirty comment toward me, and I would be grateful that he was trying to diffuse the tension. He asked about my past, and I would keep my mouth shut. I knew something was up.

"Have you ever been in love, Lass?" He asked. I glared up at him. I knew that he was just trying to unnerve me, but I would not let him do that.

"No," I said flatly. "I have never been in love." The look that he gave me said that he believed otherwise. We were soon at the top, and we needed to get past the Giant. Mulan's poppy seed dust was what was going to help us along the way. I climbed a statue, waiting while Killian distracted the Giant. He was _much_ taller than I anticipated. Killian noticed that, too. I suddenly felt him go into a protective mode. I had no idea why he would do that. We hardly knew each other.

"OI!" I heard Killian shout. "You big git! You want to kill a human? Well, here I am!" Then he got the Giant to turn towards me. I was impressed – maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all. I quickly shoved that thought down. I couldn't trust him. Working quickly, I knocked out the Giant. But I couldn't find Kilian.

"Killian?" I asked, sliding down the statue. There was no answer. "Killian!" I shouted.

"No need to shout, Love," he smirked, suddenly appearing at my side. "By the way, Emma. I don't mean to frighten you. But I think we make quite the team." He grabbed my hand and inspected it with him good hand, his hook holding it up. I could feel his growing concern for me. I became anxious. He suddenly pulled out a flask, uncorked it, and poured the contents of it onto my hand. It burned like hell and I cried out.

"What the _hell_ was that?" I shouted.

"Rum," Killian grimaced while taking off the scarf from around his waist. "And bloody waste of it."

_I hear your voice in my sleep at night  
Hard to resist temptation  
'Cause something strange has come over me  
And now I can't get over you  
No, I just can't get over you_

After a couple hours of searching, we were not getting anywhere. I knew that Mulan was going to cut down the Beanstalk soon, so when I felt the ground start to shake, I turned to the pirate I was travelling with in confusion. Then it dawned on me. The Giant was awake.

We tried to find hiding spots anywhere we could, but it was in vain. The Giant had spotted us. And we were done for. Killian was now under a pile of rocks, and I was in the Giant's powerful grip. Being crushed to death? Yeah. Not as pleasant as it sounds. I then had the brilliant idea of biting his hand and making a run for it. I took him to the trip wire. And it worked. I could feel Killian's emotions. He was trying to swallow it, but he was terrified.

"You're going to kill me either way," the Giant said. And I convinced him otherwise. I was _not_ going to die up here. After sparing his life twice, he gave me two favors.

_I was there for you  
In your darkest times  
I was there for you  
In your darkest night_

I pulled Killian out from under the rubble.

"You are bloody brilliant, Lass," he laughed. "Amazing. May I see it? The compass?" I smiled sadly at him. I could feel his relief as his eyes scanned it. "Its more beautiful than legend." I put it away quickly and stood up. "Come. Let's go." He stood slowly, extending his hand to me. I grabbed it, putting the shackle around his wrist. I could feel the betrayal in his emotions, but all of this was so confusing that I just ignored his emotions.

"What are you doing," he questioned, obviously hurt. He looked up at me, and I couldn't stop the feeling of hurt from coming through. "What are you doing?"

"Killian," I whispered, taking a step away from him. "I… I _can't_…"

"Emma," his painful whisper met my ears and I wanted to cry. But I would not be weak in front of this pirate. "Look at me. Have I told you a lie?" He gestured around him. "I brought you here – risked my own safety to help you. The compass is _in your hand_. Why do this to me now?" I looked into his brilliant blue eyes.

"I can't take a chance that I'm wrong about you," I whispered, turning around and walking away. I heard him sigh and the shackle move.

"This is because of Neal, isn't it, Emma?" I stopped in my tracks before whirling around and staring at him. He smirked sadly. "Neal, your boy's father, betrayed your trust, leaving you in jail for eleven months, pregnant. He is the reason that you no longer trust your gut feeling. I can see why, too. Handsome bloke. Not as devilishly handsome as me, but handsome nonetheless." I glared at him, pointing my sword at him.

"How the _hell_ do you know that, pirate," I spat. His smirk widened.

"When we touched for the first time, you felt something. _Saw _things. My memories. Then you gained access to my emotions. The same thing happened to me. Then your right wrist burned." With some difficulty, he used his hook to move the clothing covering his right wrist. I gawked. My name was branded into his skin. Right above his tattoo of Milah. He continued. "This is what happens when True Loves touch for the first time. They get branded, and then they gain access to each other's minds. So, Love, leaving me trapped here is _not_ a wise choice." I blinked at the tears that threatened to fall. I couldn't handle this. I kept blinking, thinking that this was too much. I felt his arms wrap around me. "It's alright, Emma. I know it's a lot. I know this adds to the stress." I suddenly found myself crying into this pirate's shoulder, and he was comforting me. I felt something build up in my chest. A bright, white light burst forth from me. We were both blinded. I felt fear coursing through both of us. When the light cleared, I saw him standing in front of me, the chain on the floor, and both of his hands in their rightful place.

_But I wonder where were you  
When I was at my worst  
Down on my knees  
And you said you had my back  
So I wonder where were you  
When all the roads you took came back to me_

We landed at the bottom of the Beanstalk to find Mulan and Mom fighting on the ground.

"Stop it!" I shouted, running to their sides. Mom got off of Mulan, but huffed, not looking at me. "Mom, stop hurting Mulan. _I_ asked her to cut down the Beanstalk." At the word "mom," Mary Margaret turned and looked at me. She was smiling softly.

"You called me 'mom,'" she whispered. I decided to ignore her. She came up to me and looked at my right wrist. She smiled at me and then at Killian.

"I'm guessing you explained it to her, Hook," Mom said. He and I had discussed my familial issues on the way back, and he convinced me to call her "mom." I could feel him swell with pride as he came up next to me.

"Aye, m'Lady," he murmured, placing his new hand on my shoulder. I was still weirded out by the whole situation. "She now knows about us. Although, I don't think she's taking it too well." I hung my head as new tears began to form in my eyes. I brushed off his hand and began walking into the forest in front of us. I could hear them calling my name, but I needed time to myself.

_So I'm following the map that leads to you  
The map that leads to you  
Ain't nothing I can do  
The map that leads to you  
Following, following, following to you  
The map that leads to you  
Ain't nothing I can do  
The map that leads to you_

"My dear, sweet girl," I heard from behind me. I whirled around to find Cora standing behind me. "Did you actually think that you could defeat me?" I pointed the Giant-killing blade at her.

"Yes," I whispered. "Because good always defeats evil." She started to laugh, but then saw my wrist. She looked mortified for a brief second before resetting her face.

"Well, this complicates matters," she seemed to say to herself. "Your precious _Hook_ will not be such a great ally once I take his heart." This time she was talking to me. The statement seemed to spark something inside of me. I jabbed her with my sword.

"No. You won't be harming a hair on his head, you bitch."

"Why, you ungrateful-" Cora raised her hand and a fireball appeared.

"Emma!" I turned to see Killian and Mom standing at the edge of the clearing I had been hiding in, Mulan and Aurora following suit a second later. The fireball disappeared along with Cora. He reappeared next to Killian. I ran toward him just as she reached back.

"No!" I shouted. I could feel his fear. His eyes were as big as saucers as I shoved him out of the way and Cora's hand plunged into my body. The fear that he had before paled in comparison to what he felt now. And he had just reason to feel this gripping, white-knuckle fear. His first love, Milah, had been killed the same way. And Cora's grip on my heart hurt like a bitch.

"Why, you stupid girl," she said. I could only hear her over the entire ruckus. She barely registered Killian's touch or his voice pleading with Cora. We both ignored everything around us. "Don't you know that love is weakness?" Her smile was sickening. Then she pulled.

And pulled. And pulled. I gasped the first time. Then it hit me.

"No," I said. I could still feel Killian's confusion, and I could see Cora's etched on her face. "Love is _strength_." Then, the white light returned and suddenly, Cora was flat on her back. I leaned down, taking the ashes from her satchel while she was still dazed. Without thinking, I took Killian's hand and we all made a break for it. Before we knew it, it was nightfall, and we were at Lake Nostos. I looked around the dried up crater, and, acting on instinct and energy, I flicked my wrist. Somehow – I still to this day have no idea how the hell I managed it – I made the water appear. I threw the ashes in, and the portal formed. I held it out to Mom, and we were ready to jump.

_Oh, I was there for you  
Oh, in your darkest time  
Oh, I was there for you  
Oh, in your darkest night_

"Emma," Killian's voice reached my ears just in time. I stopped and turned around. I could feel the sadness overtake him. And an emotion that I had never felt before. "Please don't leave me, Love. Don't leave your True Love behind." I glared at him.

"All you want to do is destroy Rumplestiltskin," I snapped. "You could hurt my son. I can't risk that." I felt the pain that had caused him. He began walking towards me, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I did, when I first met you," he whispered. "But now, I want to change. I don't know why, nor do I care. I want to stop Cora from coming back to your Storybrooke. I want to help protect your son. I can feel how much you love him. And I want a part of that. I know you barely know me, and it takes _a lot_ to gain your trust. But I will, and I want to do this right. I have this… _desire…_to be by your side… and I can't shake that. No matter what I do. So please, allow me to come back to Storybrooke. And let me make amends with the Crocodile. I will change. For you." He was now standing right in front of me. I let the tears flow. _So _that_ was the feeling that he was expressing_, I thought. I held the compass out for him to hold onto as well. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mom crying and smiling. Together, the three of us jumped into the portal.

_But I wonder where were you  
When I was at my worst  
Down on my knees  
And you said you had my back  
So I wonder where were you  
When all the roads you took came back to me_

A couple of months had passed. Somehow, Regina and Gold had kept Cora from ever entering our Realm, but we all wound up in Neverland. Henry had been kidnapped, and we used Killian's ship to get him back. Apparently, _the Jolly Roger_ was made of enchanted wood, so it followed Killian wherever he went. That meant through the portal, as well. How it had survived the journey, I have no idea. But now, I had to deal with Killian – who was my _boyfriend_ at the time – fighting with my ex, Neal. And this was all too much to handle again. Regina told me that I needed to either keep my emotions in check, or I would have to have to hone my magical skills. I chose the latter, and I seemed pretty bad at magic. I had originally wished to have been taught by Rumplestiltskin, but he was nowhere to be seen.

I felt Killian's hand on my back as we made our way through the forest. He was a great father to Henry, and I could feel his growing concern towards the loss of his newly acquired family. I still had yet to tell him that I was pregnant, but he was catching on quickly that something was off. Mom already guessed, and I knew that it would only be a matter of time before everyone knew. I was about three months along, and starting to show. Luckily, no one really noticed. Except for Mom and Pan.

"Emma," he whispered, sending tingles down my back. "What's wrong, Love?" And the look on his face when I told him. He looked so happy. And I could feel that he was. He was so incredibly happy that the two of us were going to have a family of our own. I knew then that he and I were truly True Loves. He bent his head to kiss me, and I let him. The light that emanated from us led us to Henry in the long run. It was True Love's Kiss.

_So I'm following the map that leads to you  
The map that leads to you  
Ain't nothing I can do  
The map that leads to you  
Following, following, following to you  
The map that leads to you  
Ain't nothing I can do  
The map that leads to you  
Following, following, following_


End file.
